


Brightest Sky

by dreamcp



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series), Pocket Monsters: Sun & Moon | Pokemon Sun & Moon Versions
Genre: First Kiss, M/M, Mutual Pining, Post-Canon, yes hello im back with yet another ship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-04
Updated: 2016-12-04
Packaged: 2018-09-06 08:13:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,185
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8741980
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dreamcp/pseuds/dreamcp
Summary: Because Hau shines like the sun.





	

**Author's Note:**

> So Sun and Moon came out like two weeks ago, and I have since beat Moon three times. It's REALLY good. And I want to love and protect everyone in that game. And I got inspired, and wrote this! Thanks for reading!

It's weird being back at the Aether Paradise. Like, _really_ weird. Gladion just can't shake the uneasiness he feels walking through the empty white corridors. It's been two years, and maybe he should be feeling more grateful to have a home again. He knows that Aether is living up to its promise of protecting Pokémon now, and he wants to be part of that. He wants to see the hurt inflicted by his mother healed.

But it's that same hurt that haunts his every step in Aether. Because his mother brought harm to those closest to her far before she unleashed the Ultra Beasts’ wrath on Alola. She tried to meld her children into perfect cookie cutouts of a dangerous obsession. She flung harsh words and insults without a second thought. She let torturous experiments take place in her labs.

Now those labs are filled with Pokémon who are well cared for, often in rehab for serious injuries. But hard as he tries, Gladion can't prevent the nausea that washes over him whenever he visits those floors. There's no cure for bad memories.

Gladion prefers the conservation area a lot more. It's huge and naturally bright, a welcome contrast to the washed-out lower levels. He likes to watch the Pokémon playing in the foliage, and sometimes he’ll jump the fence to join the aquatic ones in a playful splash war. Other days he’ll sit with Null splayed across his lap, napping, and watch the Aether vets checking up on various Pokémon. There's something therapeutic about interacting with Pokémon outside of battle. If his mother got anything right as head of Aether, it was this.

It's about a week after Lillie leaves for Kanto that Gladion finds the remaining two Type: Null. He immediately orders for them to be unfrozen and taken up to the conservation area. Null bounces back and forth beside him with excitement as they wait outside. Wicke advises Gladion that it may take some time for them to get used to the new environment, and might still be dangerous. Gladion scoffs and points to Null, who's happily nuzzling into his side. But in the end he goes along with Wicke’s wishes. He owes her big time for looking after Lillie when he ran away, and he doesn't want to cause her stress.

He waits a few hours before Null gets nearly unbearable, and then he heads back to the conservatory. Null immediately takes off down the path, and Gladion is quick to follow, yelling for it to slow down. Unfortunately for him Null seems to take his advice a little too quickly, and Gladion is almost sent flying when he crashes into it. He ends up on his back on the walkway floor, and suddenly there's not one, but _three_ creatures trying to fit on his lap. Gladion fights to sit up through the fur and limbs flooding his vision. A snort leaves him, and then he's laughing. Null licks his face eagerly. The Type: Null rub against his chest as best as they can, and Gladion strokes their fur.

He sits with the three Pokémon for several minutes before Null jumps away a few feet and looks over its shoulder. One of the Type: Null jumps up and starts chasing it down the walkway. Gladion smiles softly, then looks down at his lap. The other Type: Null is still there, watching the two playing but apparently uninterested in joining them.

It's so wild. Gladion doesn't know the full story behind their creation, but he has a good idea of the horrors these Pokémon suffered in Aether’s labs. But now they're free from all that, and the two he couldn't save are wide-eyed and full of life and able to experience the world for themselves. Gladion can't help but draw a parallel to him and Lillie; trapped and scared, but now free and happy.

And he is happy. Watching Aether become what it was supposed to be, watching his Pokémon go from stiff and scared to relaxed and playful, it's something he couldn't have imagined before. Gladion’s going to owe Moon a huge debt for the rest of his life.

He takes care of the Type: Null over the next few weeks. They're calmer now, yes, but still wary around other humans. Gladion works on getting them accustomed to people by taking them to the conservation area every day. They move at very different paces. The more excitable Type: Null begins to eagerly bound up to Aether workers and visitors alike. It seems to love the attention it gets from them. The other Type: Null is much more reserved, preferring to interact only with the Pokémon in the conservatory or stay by Gladion’s side.

Moon stops by the Aether Paradise one day. Gladion is in the conservatory when she does. It's near the end of visiting hours for guests, but the way that the first Type: Null takes off towards the elevator tells him there's someone here. He follows at a slower pace with his other two Pokémon and finds Moon flat on her back with Type: Null standing over her, panting eagerly.

“Seems that it likes you,” he says when Moon has stood up. She brushes dirt from her clothes and grins widely.

“Yeah, I like it too,” she replies. Type: Null lets out a bark and jumps next to her. They're like a perfect fit.

Gladion gives that Type: Null to Moon.

Then it's just the three of them: him, Null, and Type: Null. Gladion tries to think up a different name for Null, since it's so close to Type: Null. Besides, Null is just a nickname anyway. He eventually comes up with Silvally, and he tries to use that name from then on. It's hard to unlearn a name though, especially when Null only listens to its original name anyways. Gladion gives it up.

It's early morning when Gladion stumbles into the conservatory, Pokémon in tow. The sun is just barely over the horizon, and many of the Pokémon are still asleep. Gladion lets out a large yawn. He leans against the railing and closes his eyes while his Pokémon sniff around. At one point he thinks he hears Null cry out, but it doesn't sound like it's in pain, and Gladion’s too tired to go investigate. He's really not a morning person.

So it comes as a shock when a hand claps his shoulder. Gladion is _definitely_ awake when he jumps sideways and yelps in surprise. He grasps the railing tightly and stares down the person. His eyes are still blurred with sleep, but they focus a few seconds later and he groans internally. It's way too early to be dealing with this.

“Oops.”

“Hau, what are you doing here?!” Gladion grits out through his teeth. He does his best to force down a blush. Shooting twelve feet in the air when you get taken by surprise isn't something you can just walk off. Least of all in front of someone you admire. (Gladion _refuses_ to call it a crush.) He prays that Hau doesn't mention it.

“Moon told me you were still hanging out here!” Hau says with a grin. The boy looks refreshed and awake, Gladion notices with envy. Damn morning people.

“I meant why so early,” Gladion deadpans. Which is technically true, but that's not the full story. Why Hau is here, apparently to see him, Gladion doesn't understand. He hasn't really done anything to deserve personal visits, has he? It takes huge effort to ignore how his heart rate speeds up.

Hau winces. “Oh. Right. Heh, I didn't really think about the time… sorry. The receptionist recognized my name and told me I could come in, so…”

“Well you're here now,” mumbles Gladion. Louder he says, “Did you need something from me, or…?”

“I, uh. Well, not really,” Hau says. He scratches the back of his head, looking bashful. “I wanted to see how you were after… y’know.”

Gladion blinks. Oh. That's… wow. His eyes drop to the ground, refusing to meet Hau’s eyes. The blush starts to come back.

This whole thing was his mother’s fault somehow, Gladion was sure of it. He'd met Hau and Moon because of her, and he’d started to like Hau because of her too, probably. To be honest, he hadn't thought much of Hau on their first meeting; he beat Hau’s team soundly in battle and was unimpressed with how he seemed to hold back. He'd taken that as weakness back then. Gladion knows better now, after seeing Hau work so hard to save Lillie.

It’s care. It's love. Genuine love for his Pokémon, for his friends and family, for total strangers, hell, for _life._ Hau fights because it's fun, and doesn't stress over battles. If he wins, then great; if not, then good for the victor. Hau approaches life with excitement, like nothing could ever go wrong. Living like that wasn’t even something Gladion thought possible until he left his family behind.

And here's that same kid, standing in front of Gladion because he wants to check on him. ‘Cause even if he doesn't know the awful details, he knows that Gladion’s been through some rough stuff. Gladion can't help but let out a laugh. He thinks that if it were anyone else he'd be annoyed, but somehow with Hau, it's alright. He knows exactly how good-hearted Hau is.

“What?” says Hau. Gladion looks back up at him; he's pouting. It's _adorable._ How the hell is he supposed to react to that?

Gladion solves that by not answering Hau’s question at all, and just staring at Hau’s fake pouty face. Then he feels Type: Null nudge his leg from behind and his mind snaps back to reality. He realizes that he should really continue the conversation before things get awkward. Assuming they aren't already.

“D-don't worry about it,” Gladion replies, gripping the railing tighter. He cringes; dammit, why’d he have to stutter? Hau gives him a confused look, tilting his head slightly.

Null comes to his rescue then, letting out a bark. Gladion jumps again. In his preoccupation with Hau, he hadn't even noticed the Pokémon winding around Hau’s legs like an old friend. Which, in all honestly, isn't that far off; Hau kept slipping treats to Gladion's Pokémon whenever they battled, even before they got to know each other very well. Gladion still wonders if Hau does that to everyone he meets. Hau crouches to look at Null closer, and gets a faceful of happy licks.

“Haha, hey there,” giggles Hau. Null jumps up a little more forcefully, and they both go tumbling to the ground. Gladion takes a quick step forward in worry, but Hau seems uninjured. In fact, he’s laughing, loud and uncaring. Null barks.

Then, Gladion watches in amazement as Type: Null moves out from behind him, sniffing the floor furiously. One step after another, the Pokémon advances towards Hau. Null has let up enough for Hau to sit up, and he watches curiously as Type: Null gets closer and starts pawing at his bag.

“Oh, ya want one?” Hau asks, digging through his bag and producing a malasada. Type: Null wags its tail. Gladion’s eyes feel like they're gonna pop out of his head. Hau unwraps the treat and holds it out to Type: Null, who starts to devour it as best as it can through the mask. Once through, it gently butts its head against Hau’s arm.

Gladion is floored. “Do you know how antisocial that one is with humans?” he asks Hau, who only shrugs while he strokes the fur of both Pokémon currently surrounding him.

“Everyone likes good food.”

Gladion almost whacks himself facepalming at that. _Hau just befriended the shyest Pokémon Gladion’s ever seen,_ and he doesn't bat an eye, his only explanation being food. It's the most Hau-like thing Gladion could have imagined.

“Hey, does this guy have a name?” asks Hau. Gladion peeks through his fingers at Hau and Type: Null. Seeing them interact is, admittedly, pretty cute. He clears his throat.

“Uh, no. Haven't been able to come up with one.”

“Hmm. Anything in particular you're considering?”

“No. Why?”

Hau looks off into the distance, apparently deep in thought. Then, a cheeky grin takes over his face. Gladion dreads his words.

“How ‘bout Kiko?”

“Kiko?” Gladion repeats. That doesn't seem bad. He doesn't know what it means, since it isn't English, but it sounds nice enough. Maybe he misjudged Hau. “What’s that mean?”

“Spot,” replies Hau.

_Goddammit._

“Spot,” Gladion repeats, his voice flat.

“Mhmm,” says Hau. He's beaming.

“The most generic canine name in the history of names.”

“That's the one.”

Emotion washes over Gladion. He’s not really able to put a name to it, other than just a repeating stream of _goddammit_ in his mind. Maybe it's disappointment. Or amusement. He really doesn't know anymore.

Though, the longer he thinks about it, the funnier it is. Spot. _Spot._ That's the first thing Hau came up with, and Gladion doesn't know why, but that's hilarious. Type: Null, a Pokémon genetically engineered to be a destructive and unbeatable force, whose nickname means Spot.

Gladion bites his lip, trying to quash the smile spreading across his face. He takes a deep breath, and as he lets it out giggles start to escape him. Before he knows it, Gladion is doubled over with laughter, gripping his midsection tightly. Tears start forming in his eyes.

He doesn't know how long he laughs for. Long enough to wake up every Pokémon in the conservatory, for sure. Oops.

Gladion finally gets some control over himself again and straightens up, wiping the tears away. The smile on his face is still wide. He looks down at Hau.

Hau returns the gaze with a very different expression; he looks dazed, mouth slightly open. Gladion might even say he seems a little starstruck. Guess he wasn't expecting that reaction.

“Kiko it is, then,” Gladion says, propping his elbows on the railing and leaning back.

Hau doesn't respond for a few seconds, still just staring at Gladion. Then he shakes his head hard.

“Uhh… um, right. Yeah. Wait, are you sure?”

Gladion shrugs. “I haven't thought of anything else, so.”

The newly-named Kiko lets out a loud bark. Gladion smiles softly, and Hau gets that look again.

Hau gets that look an awful lot over the next months.

Gladion comes to anticipate Hau’s visits. He usually drops by two or three times a week. Sometimes it's just a short visit, where Hau will say hi and shove a malasada into Gladion's hands— “You've gotta try them Gladion, they're sooo good! C'mon!”— and take off. Other times Hau sticks around for most of the day, playing with the Pokémon at Aether and filling Gladion in on everything happening on the islands.

“Ilima asked me to help retrieve a lost Pokémon for a tourist at his trial site, and lemme tell you, that Furret was a _devil_ to catch.”

“You won't believe what my grandpa told me about this one League challenger…”

“Hey, I saw Moon’s Type: Null a few days ago, and guess what: it’s evolved now!”

Gladion feels like he's missing something, but he can't figure out what. Not that he doesn't appreciate Hau catching him up on current events, since he can't leave Aether Paradise very often. But Hau only ever talks about his other friends or things he’s experienced himself. Gladion likes listening to his stories but… at the same time, it annoys him that Hau talks so much about his friends. He knows that Hau probably doesn't talk about _him._ He feels like an outsider looking in, and it's not a nice feeling. But Hau lights up whenever he tells one of his stories, so Gladion has no choice but to suck it up and smile at all the right parts.

He smiles a lot whenever Hau visits, actually. Because Hau lights up at that too, seeing Gladion enjoying his stories. And seeing Hau happy makes Gladion smile more.

Of course, none of this helps with his whole “feelings” deal at all. Gladion’s scared that he'll suffer a heart attack from all the flutters his heart does whenever Hau laughs or grins at him. Worse yet, Hau’s decided that they're close enough as friends for casual physical contact, and Gladion almost jumps out of his skin every time Hau grabs his arm or leans on his shoulder. (Or tries to anyway; Hau’s a good five inches shorter.)

He brings it up with Moon the next time she stops by. Her mouth keeps twitching as he explains the situation, minus the feelings part. Gladion narrows his eyes at her.

“Do you have a phone?” she asks him immediately after he finishes up. Gladion doesn't see how that’s got anything to do with Hau, but he nods, eyebrows furrowed. “Then give me your number.”

Moon takes out her cell phone and hands it to Gladion. He types in his number and hands it back, and she immediately begins swiping on it.

“I've gotta run, but I'll text you later,” she says, still fiddling with the phone. Gladion huffs as she makes her way towards the elevator. That was the least helpful response anyone could have given him.

Or so he thinks. Then, several hours later, he gets a text from an unknown number.

-hey its moon

-first off I know you're crushing hard on hau, you're not subtle at all

-second of all youre not gonna believe this (also don't tell Hau he will kill me pls&thx)

Gladion frowns at his phone in confusion. Then the screenshots start coming in. It's a good thing he’s in his room, since he's got the bed to fall on when his legs give out beneath him. Null comes up and sniffs him concernedly, but all that Gladion can focus on is his phone.

Picture after picture is sent to his phone. Gladion stares wide-eyed at the words contained in the screenshots, hardly able to comprehend them.

_ -he smiled so much at me today??!!!! moon what do I do _

_ -hes REALLY REALLY cute when he laughs oh no. moon help _

_ -ohmygod he's playing with Null and I'm not ok. be still my heart _

_ -MOON. MOON HE HELD MY HAND WHEN WE WERE CHASING KIKO AND NULL AROUND WHAT DO _

More screenshots follow that include pictures of Gladion himself, taken with him unawares, captioned with a string of random letters in all caps. Gladion's not really sure what that means exactly, but he assumes it's in the same vein as the other texts.

Gladion stares long and hard at his phone, trying to decipher the messages every way he can think of. The last thing he wants to do is assume anything, but damn if the texts don't make it really hard to jump to conclusions. And he really, really wants them to mean what he thinks they mean.

It's another text from Moon a few minutes later that seals the deal for him.

-thats not even all of it but I'm tired of scrolling back. make a move on him before I go mad from getting this kind of stuff every time you two hang out

Gladion tosses his phone further down the bed and buries his face in his hands. It feels very warm. His breathing has gotten kind of uneven. Null whines. Gladion finally looks up and meets his partner’s worried eyes.

“Everything’s okay,” he says. Then he smiles. “Everything’s good.”

Hau's next visit isn't for another few days. In the meantime, Gladion stresses over what he’ll say to the boy. He doesn't want to embarrass Hau or scare him off. He also doesn't want to embarrass _himself._

Gladion still doesn't have a plan when the day arrives. The thing about Hau is that he comes when he feels like it, so it could be any number of days between his visits. It's always a surprise when he turns up— usually a pleasant one. This time, though, Gladion feels a mixture of hope and dread.

“Gladion!” Hau calls when he spots him, waving furiously like he always does. Gladion rolls his eyes but waves back as they walk towards each other. Kiko and Null race up to Hau and bark, their customary greeting for him. Hau pats their heads lovingly.

“Nice to see you guys too,” he says to them, and watches as they run off. Then he looks up at Gladion. “What's new?”

Gladion thinks about how Aether rescued several Pokémon from a mudslide the day before and brought them back to recover, and how he got a letter from Lillie since Hau’s last visit, and also how it turns out that Hau likes him back. He decides not to mention any of that though, and settles for a shrug.

“What about you?”

“Well, I went and fought Moon at the League again yesterday. She beat me, of course— I'll get her someday, though—”

Gladion can't help the fond smile on his face while Hau talks. He always looks so excited to talk about his day; it's endearing. Gladion’s mind wanders to the screenshots Moon had sent, how full of emotion Hau’s texts had been.

It gives Gladion a brief confidence boost: damn right Hau likes him. And he’s gonna get his feelings across to Hau, dammit. 

That confidence boost is enough to have Gladion surging forwards. Without stopping to think he plants a kiss on Hau’s cheek. Except he doesn't quite aim right, and he ends up with almost half of his mouth on the corner of Hau’s. The boy’s voice cuts off suddenly.

Gladion stumbles backwards, clapping a hand over his mouth. His face _burns._ All of his confidence has vanished, replaced with anxiety and doubt. Bad idea, that was definitely a bad idea. Maybe he really _did_ misinterpret things. He meets Hau’s shocked gaze with dread.

Hau’s face is frozen, his mouth open and eyes wide. Gladion is petrified. He starts to fear that the fragile calm they’ve created will shatter if he moves.

It’s Hau that makes the first move, though small. His eyebrows furrow and he casts his eyes down, then to the side, then down again. Then he looks back up at Gladion’s face with an unreadable expression. Gladion gulps.

The silence persists for several more seconds. Then a couple things happen almost simultaneously. Hau’s face brightens, blindingly happy; he launches himself forwards and Gladion feels a warm body crashing into his own; Gladion reflexively wraps his arms around the shorter boy’s waist to steady himself; Hau’s arms snake around Gladion’s neck and pull him down into a tight hug.

Gladion can't see Hau’s face since his chin is resting on Gladion’s shoulder. But the hug tells him all that he needs to know, and he squeezes his eyes shut and holds Hau tighter.

Relief flows through him, overwhelms him, and Gladion feels tears starting to form in his eyes. He buries his head into Hau’s shoulder.

“You _idiot,_ don't scare me like that again,” he mumbles, the sound muffled by Hau’s shirt.

“I know, I know, sorry. You really got me by surprise,” Hau replies. He pulls away slightly, and as Gladion lifts his head he feels the light press of lips against his jaw, right next to his ear. A shiver passes down his spine at the sensation.

Hau places his hands on Gladion’s cheeks. There's a smile on his face, wide and familiar, but with something else added to it: affection. The soft look blows Gladion away.

“You wanna try again?” Hau asks. He makes an exaggerated kissy face. It's stupid and Gladion hates himself for laughing at it, but laugh he does. But hey, if Hau is offering, then there's no reason not to take him up on it.

It's only a small peck, or at least it's supposed to be. Gladion knows full well how little he knows about romantic relationships, and he isn't about to push his luck. He meets Hau’s lips properly, and only then does he close his eyes. He means to pull away just after, but Hau’s warmth draws him in and Gladion forgets about everything else. Hau’s hands slide down slightly and come to rest at his jaw. They gently hold him in place against Hau’s mouth.

Gladion tilts his head just a bit, and _there’s_ that perfect fit he’s been looking for. All of his remaining apprehension dissipates. Right here, with Hau, this moment will stay with him for a long, long time.

To Gladion’s dismay, he has to pull away to breathe. He’s hesitant, though, and he parts the kiss slowly. Their mouths are centimeters apart, foreheads touching.

Hau’s eyes are still shut when Gladion opens his. Breathlessly, he says, “I've been wanting to do that for a while, now.”

“I know. Me too.”

Hau hums. They stay with their heads pressed together, holding each other. Then, at the same moment, they realize something.

“What do you mean, ‘you know?’”

“Uhh…”

“Did Moon tell you?”

“Um.”

“She _did_ didn't she!”

“Well—”

_“I'm gonna kill her!”_

**Author's Note:**

> According to a few different sources I found online, "Kiko" means Spot in Hawaiian. If I'm wrong, just let me know and I'll fix it.


End file.
